Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.

Maxion Wheels U.s.a. LLC

Maxion Wheels Holding Gmbh

Joseph W Wolf

Alan Coleman

Patrick McCorry

John Evan Bunner

Robert J Wendt

Thomas E Heck

Ross S Hill

Peter Yee

Todd Duffield

John Holm

Fernando T Mitsuyassu

Christopher A Putz

James A Wieland

James A Weiland

A fabricated vehicle wheel comprises a wheel disc and a wheel rim. The wheel disc has an annular hub portion, a center hub hole in the hub portion, opposite inboard and outboard faces of the hub portion, a plurality of circumferentially spaced lug bolt holes in the hub portion, a plurality of lightener pockets in the hub portion, and an extension portion. The lug bolt holes and the lightener pockets alternate around a circumference of the hub portion. An axis extends through the hub hole. The inboard face is planar and configured to mount to a vehicle. The inboard face is perpendicular to the axis and the extension portion extends from the hub portion along the axis. The wheel rim is secured to the extension portion.

Fabricated vehicle wheel with wheel disc having lightener pockets

A monitoring device includes a housing adhered to a drop well of a wheel inside of a vehicle tire. The housing rotates with the wheel. An electrical circuit disposed within the housing. The electrical circuit including a load sensing device disposed within the housing. The load sensing device sensing forces exerted on the wheel. A transceiver coupled to the electrical circuit. The transceiver communicates load data sensed by the load sensing device to components exterior of the wheel.

Vehicle wheel assembly having improved monitoring capabilities for various vehicle conditions and monitoring device for accomplishing such monitoring

A vehicle wheel rim having at least an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a well and an outboard tire bead seat. A reinforcing tape applied to at least a portion of one of an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the inboard tire bead seat, the well and the outboard tire bead seat.

Reinforced vehicle wheel rim and fabricated vehicle wheel and method for producing the same

A method for producing a vehicle wheel and wheel cover assembly comprising the steps of: (a) providing a wheel cover having an inner surface and an outer surface; (b) selectively applying at least one shot of a first adhesive material to a portion of the inner surface of the wheel cover to define a predetermined masked area; (c) providing a vehicle wheel having an outboard face; (d) positioning the wheel cover and the vehicle wheel relative to one another whereby at least one cavity is formed between the inner surface of the wheel cover, the outboard face of the vehicle wheel, and the masked area of the wheel cover defined by the first adhesive material; and (e) selectively applying a second adhesive material to the cavity to secure the wheel cover to the vehicle wheel.

Vehicle wheel and wheel cover assembly and method for producing same

A method for producing a fabricated vehicle wheel comprising the steps of: (a) providing a rim blank; (b) providing a first tooling fixture for subjecting the rim blank to a preforming operation wherein the cylindrical shape is reshaped to produce a rim preform; (c) providing a second tooling fixture defining a sealed internal chamber and having a tooling member having a predetermined inner surface contour, the sealed internal chamber in fluid communication with a source of high pressurize hydraulic fluid; (d) positioning the rim preform in the internal chamber with an outer surface thereof adjacent the inner surface contour of the tooling member; (e) supplying the high pressure hydraulic fluid to the internal chamber whereby the rim preform is pressed against the adjacent inner surface contour of the tooling member so as to produce a wheel rim having a contour which matches that of the inner surface contour of the tooling member; (f) removing the wheel rim from the second tooling fixture; and (g) securing the wheel rim to a wheel disc to produce the fabricated vehicle wheel.

Fabricated vehicle wheel, wheel rim for use in such a vehicle wheel and method for producing same

A full face fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel comprises a full face wheel disc defining an axis and formed from a suitable material, the wheel disc having an outer end; and a wheel rim formed from a suitable material and having an outer end joined to the outer end of the wheel disc by at least one weld to produce the fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel; wherein the fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel includes only a generally radially outwardly extending outer end formed by a combination of at least a portion of two of the outer end of the wheel disc the outer end of the wheel rim and the at least one weld.

Fabricated vehicle wheel and method for producing same

This invention relates to a vehicle wheel cover retention system for securing a wheel cover to a vehicle wheel. According to one embodiment, the vehicle wheel cover retention system is for a non-full face fabricated vehicle wheel and comprises: a full outer wheel rim formed from a suitable material and including a first rim flange, a first tire bead seat, a well, a second tire bead seat, and a second rim flange, the full outer wheel rim defining a first surface extending between the first an second rim flanges; an inner wheel disc defining a wheel axis and formed from a suitable material and joined to the full outer wheel rim, the inner wheel disc including a centrally located wheel mounting surface and an outer annular portion, the inner wheel disc having a first surface and a second surface; and a wheel cover formed from a suitable material and secured to at least one of the first surface of the inner wheel disc, the second surface of the inner wheel disc, and the first surface of said full outer wheel rim.

Vehicle wheel cover retention system and method for producing same

A method for producing a vehicle wheel comprises the steps of: (a) providing a wheel including an outboard face; (b) providing a wheel cover including an inner surface; (c) providing an external surface feature on at least one of the outboard face of the wheel and the inner surface of the cover; (d) positioning the wheel and the cover relative to one another to form a first gap between at least selected portions of the wheel outboard face of the cover inner surface and to form at least a second gap in the area of the external surface feature between adjacent surfaces of the wheel and the wheel cover, the first gap to the second gap defining an indirect flow path; and (e) securing the cover to the wheel by using an expandable foam adhesive material, wherein the adhesive material initially fills selected portions of the first gap and then follows the indirect flow path to then flow into the second gap whereby the adhesive material cures and stops expanding before completely filling the second gap.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a wheel cover and a vehicle wheel including such a wheel cover. The method for producing the vehicle wheel cover comprises the steps of: (a) providing a tooling fixture including at least a first tooling member and a second tooling member; (b) providing a wheel cover having at least a preformed outer end; (c) positioning the wheel cover onto the tooling fixture wherein the wheel cover is supported on the first tooling member and spaced apart from the second tooling member; (d) actuating the tooling fixture whereby the second tooling member is operative to engage and reshape the outer end of the wheel cover to produce a desired outer end shape; and (e) removing the wheel cover from the tooling fixture.

Method and apparatus for producing a wheel cover and vehicle wheel including such a wheel cover

A vehicle wheel cover retention system for securing a wheel cover to a vehicle wheel. In one embodiment, the vehicle wheel cover retention system comprises a wheel formed from a suitable material and including an outboard face having a retention groove formed therein near an outboard flange thereof; and a wheel cover formed from a suitable material and including an outer portion having a tab formed thereon and an outer annular extension extending radially outwardly relative to the tab toward the outboard flange of the wheel; wherein the tab is received in the retention groove to secure the wheel cover to the wheel.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Joseph W Wolf